Waving Girl Statue
Waving Girl Statue
Waving Girl Statue
Waving Girl Statue
Savannah, GA 31401
The Waving Girl Statue by renowned sculptor Felix De Weldon, the sculptor of the United States Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington, depicts Florence with her loyal collie.
Florence was a young girl and she was lonely on the island. At first she would run out to wave at her friends passing and was so tickled when they blew their whistle back at her.
Florence with her devoted collie begin welcoming ships into the port of Savannah with a wave of her handkerchief. Soon sailors began returning her greeting by waving back or with a blast of the ship's horn. Eventually Florence started greeting the ships arriving in the dark by waving a lantern.
Florence Martus continued her waving tradition for 44 years and it is estimated that she welcomed more than 50,000 ships during her lifetime. On September 27, 1943, the SS Florence Martus, a Liberty ship, was christened in her honor.
Stories about the Georgia woman passed ship to ship the world over. She was the slender lady with the long, flowing skirt and collie at her side. Her kerchief fluttered in the sunlight as sailors glided past her island home on the Savannah River. At night, they said her face lit up with her swaying lantern light.
